If you read two accounts from Jesus' life and sayings, you might get the idea that Jesus is a bit confused. In Luke 14:25-32, Jesus talks about counting the cost of following Him, using two life examples of someone planning out what they are going to do to see if they have the means. And throughout the Proverbs, we hear about the wisdom of planning and thinking things through before we act (such as Proverbs 12:8, 15:12, for a couple of examples).
But then, we come across Jesus' words in places like Matthew 6:25-34, where Jesus tells us that we don't have to be anxious about God's provision for us. Jesus says that God will provide, and that we can trust in Him to take care of what we need in this life. So, if we were to look at these two, it may seem as though Jesus is contradicting Himself.
However, it seems more likely that Jesus is describing one of the tensions we have in our faith life. We are to trust in God for taking care of our needs of body and soul, and yet, we are also to be involved in planning out that care. I have noticed how many Christians, uncomfortable living with tensions in life and faith matters, tend to find themselves at one extreme or the other.
On the one hand, there are those who want to know how things will work, how everything will be provided for, and to know all of this before they will venture down that particular road. While taking God's desire for planning to heart, they also may leave little room for trusting in God to pour out even more than what they may hope for or desire. They seek certainty and sureness before they act.
The other side of this coin are those who do not plan, but simply step out, saying that God will take care of everything and they don't need to worry about it. God will be faithful, and will give what is needed, without any work or effort or planning on our part. And yet, God may be providing a number of opportunities if only they would take a little action and plan out how things will happen, or look for the places that God may be presenting to supply their needs, if only they would look around and take action.
I cannot say where the "proper" tension is in this. It's very likely that it is different for each person in each situation. There may be times where God truly wants us to step out in faith, not knowing where He will provide and where it will come from. There are probably other times that He wants us to take a more active role in planning things out, but to also recognize that we can trust in Him to do far more than what our plans may show or indicate.
I would suggest that we find ourselves drifting toward one end of this spectrum or the other, and that it is helpful to take a step in the other direction every once in a while, simply as a reminder from God that He doesn't do things the same way every time.
Which end to you tend to fall toward? How can you take a step and have God show that He also works from the other end of the spectrum? How do you balance these out in your faith life?
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